Shashi Tharoor hits back at Kharge with a cryptic X post

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday took a subtle swipe at senior party leader Shashi Tharoor over his recent essay praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting that “for some people, Modi comes before the country.”

Kharge’s remarks came in response to Tharoor’s op-ed in The Hindu, in which the Thiruvananthapuram MP described Modi as “an asset to the nation” in the international arena, particularly in the wake of the government’s outreach to countries following a recent terror attack in Kashmir.

“We always say nation first, but some people think Modi first, and the nation comes later,” Kharge said at a press conference. He added, with a touch of sarcasm, “Tharoor is in the Congress Working Committee because he knows good English. That’s the kind of party we are.”

The comments sparked further interest after Tharoor posted a cryptic image on social media platform X, a few hours later. The image showed a lone bird flying in a cloudy sky, accompanied by the caption: “Don’t ask permission to fly. The wings are yours and the sky belongs to no one.”

Though the message made no direct reference to Kharge or the controversy, many on social media interpreted it as a veiled response to the party chief’s remarks.

Tharoor had earlier said that his article had been misread. He insisted his praise for the Prime Minister did not signal any shift in political allegiance. The incident comes amid ongoing tussle within the Congress party about its messaging, leadership style, and internal discipline on Rahul Gandhi’s watch. Tharoor’s independent tone has occasionally sparked unease within party ranks.

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